Use the right pasta with the right sauce

What is your favorite kind of pasta? Share with us in the comments field, or click on the link below to read about different kinds of pasta and how to use them with the right sauce.

Pairing the right pasta shape with the right sauce can be a supermarket stumper.

Of course, if your children are fans of certain shapes or sizes, you'll know those varieties will bring fun to the table. But did you know that some pasta sauces cater to specific styles of pasta better than others?

Long cuts: Spaghetti cuts are a traditional family favorite, and these long and thin strands pair well with just about any kind of lighter sauce. Tease your family's taste buds by combining spaghetti or the thinner angel hair with with marinara or carbonara sauce. For more robust, thicker pasta sauces like primavera, consider a flatter noodle, such as fettuccine or linguine.

Short cuts: Shorter pasta shapes have plenty of twists, turns and grooves for the sauce to better hug these styles. Sauces with vegetables and fragrant spices are best captured in shorter pastas like rigatoni, penne or shells to perfectly blend all the flavors in every bite.

Oven/baking cuts: Cuts like manicotti and wavy lasagna are best used for baking in the oven and are traditionally paired with simpler sauces, such as a marinara or sauces flavored by mild herbs.

-- ARA/ Barilla

Tip of the Week: Safe school lunches

If your child’s lunch will not be stored in a refrigerator until lunchtime, it is important to include freezer gel packs or frozen juice boxes to keep the food cold and safe to eat. An insulated soft-sided lunch tote will also help keep food fresh. If perishable items like eggs, meat and veggies are not eaten at lunchtime, they should be thrown away.

-- EatRight.org

Easy recipe: Lime Ice Cubes

2 medium limes

1 quart cold water

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Cut each lime into 1/4-inch thick slices; cut each slice into 4 wedges. Stir water and lime juice together. Evenly fill each compartment of three ice cube trays with lime juice mixture. Place 1 lime wedge in each ice cube compartment. Freeze. Yield 42 ice cubes. Use in cocktails, spritzers, lemonade or other beverages.

-- Canton (Ohio) Repository

Did You Know?

Raw meat, poultry and seafood can stay fresh in the refrigerator for one to two days. Cooked meat, poultry and seafood can last three to four days. – FoodSafety.gov

Food Quiz

What is meant in a Spanish recipe by the term 'en escabeche'?

A. topped with cheese

B. in a marinade of vinegar and spices

C. in a red pepper sauce

D. sprinkled with bits of truffleade

-- funtrivia.com

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word: Cider

Apple cider was a highly popular early American beverage. Cider is made by pressing the juice from fruit, usually apples. It can be consumed straight or diluted with water. Before fermentation, it's referred to as "sweet" cider. It becomes "hard" cider after fermentation, and can range widely in alcohol content. Apple cider is also used to make vinegar and brandy.

"The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner and Living Compassionately" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Whether you want to improve your overall health, shed a few pounds, demonstrate your compassion for animals or help the environment, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau holds your hand every step of the way, giving you the tools you need to make the vegan transition. In this one-stop comprehensive guide, Patrick-Goudreau debunks common nutrition myths and explains the best sources of such nutrients as calcium, protein, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. She also helps you become a savvy shopper, restock your kitchen, read labels and prepare nutrient-rich meals without feeling overwhelmed.

-- Random House Publishing Group

From the Beer Nut’s Blog: Sharing a beer with the president

Searching the Internet, I came upon a story about President Barack Obama sharing a beer with recent Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer.

Not only is it cool that the president took the time to do that, but it’s also kind of cool that the beer, White House Honey Ale, was home-brewed at the White House with equipment purchased by the Obamas. I wonder how the beer is, and I’m wondering, if I sent a press request to the White House, if I could get a sample of it for review? I’m very curious about how it tastes.

To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.townonline.com/beernut/.

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